Archive for July, 2010

Pup-watch has ended for RT12! He has still been sighted frequently at Larsen’s beach, but has also left the area for several days at a time. Keep your eyes peeled for this little roly-poly – he’s still vulnerable to learning the wrong way to coexist with people on the beach!!

The “unidentified” adult male seal fitted with a cell-phone tag last month turns out to be RO18, a known seal who often travels back and forth between Kauai and Oahu. He went straight back to Oahu after being tagged on Kauai, but returned to Kauai for most of July and spent his time here with adult female RK13. Previously thought to be pregnant, RK13 is now showing appearance and behavior cues indicating otherwise.

Adult female 5AY, previously expected to pup on Kauai this summer, had a pup on Oahu instead! We may not have any more Kauai newborns until winter!

Mahalo-eha (RA36) has still been hanging out on the east shore, and one day this month decided to haul out right onto the Fuji Beach boat ramp! This is not a safe place for a seal to rest! Mahalo-eha is still in the impressionable life stage during which he could either learn to be a wild seal, or to be a human-friendly seal. If he learns that it is a positive thing to approach humans, then he will be attracted to his own greatest threats: boats, propellers, hooks, nets, and people who don’t realize how special monk seals are. Dr. Mimi Olry used special equipment and aversive conditioning techniques to discourage him from resting on the boat ramp, for his and the public’s safety. Please note that changing the behavior of a Hawaiian monk seal is against state and federal law without the proper permits, which Dr. Olry has.

Pohaku (RO28) has been spending quite a bit of time on the island at Poipu Beach Park – every day for the past 2 weeks! She may be getting ready to molt, or she may just be repeating her typical behavior of finding and sticking to a favorite resting spot!

The PIFSC monk seal research team visited Kauai this month, hoping to fit more seals with cell-phone tags to study their movements and dive behavior. The criteria for this procedure are pretty strict: the seal must be hauled out in a sandy spot safe for restraint. It must be restrained during the cooler parts of the day. The seal cannot be too young, too small, pregnant, nursing, molting, near-molting, or otherwise already stressed. These criteria are all for the seals’ health and safety. Our team encountered quite a few seals on this trip, but unfortunately only one fit all the criteria: adult male RK02. Even more unfortunately for the team, RK02 is a clever seal who eluded the researchers not once but TWICE! He made a run for the water both times. Better luck next time, PIFSC!